Public Healthcare pt. II
A case study using Design Thinking methodology
Part II: Prototype & Testing
Prototype
Before starting even sketching, I did an user-flow to imagine what functionalities would be useful in two different scenarios: a sick adult and a sick child accompanied by his/her father/mother.
But, in order to prioritize which functionalities will have my prototype, I used the MoSCoW analysis method. Take in mind, that this is my first approach to designing anything for a smart-watch and I have only 3 days left before user-testing. Some great features like the kid’s smart-band for parental control and a location system are not my priority right now if we consider the value proposal after the research process:
A smart-watch is delivered to the patient after the first check in Emergency. The patient is classified according his/her health status, providing approximate waiting time based on medical personnel availability and patient’s preference level.
The device also checks patient’s vital signs, also watched over by the receptionist. In case the vital signs trespass dangerous levels, the closer medical personnel are alerted to rapidly check the patient.
So now comes the final decision before finally sketching: I will design this app for an Android smart-watch or an Apple watch? After doing some research (AGAIN, I told you research never ends ;P) I finally decided to doing it for Apple Watch, specially the newer Series 5 for several reasons:
- Apple design guideline is standardized and uses Dark UI, which I wanted to experiment with.
- Apple watch screen is squared and bigger than circle smart-watches.
- Apple bring designers a complete pack of watchOS UI components.
- Apple watch is cooler, even I’m a Huawei fan.
- Recommendation of my teacher and spiritual guide, Pere Feliu.
Also, he encouraged me choosing Sant Joan de Déu Hospital to inspire me: they have an interesting look & feel very different from the typical blueish of many hospitals. Not only for that, but because an awesome UX Design team, whom improve kids hospital stay a lot: from “adapted” MRIs to a space for waiting while a family member is giving birth.
But, before the designing phase, is almost mandatory to start with some wireframes but I did not. Why? I was sick for an entire day and with one day and a half left before user-testing, I put myself directly into designing. By doing it I was blocked and felt very frustrated for almost 2 hours because my null experience designing for watchOS, but when I hit the switch, and thanks to the amazing Apple watchOS UI components for Sketch mentioned above, was like a walk in the park.
In just one day I had a viable prototype, even an app icon. I chose purple as the main color for the app because of all three of SJdD Hospital logo, were the calmer one and it would work better in a Dark UI design. But, in order to have a better contrast within the Dark UI, I had to go for a lighter purple, as you can see in the style guide below:
Seen this, here it goes a wire-flow with final screens:
User Testing
Everything was looking good but to do a proper user test I needed an Apple Watch and, well, unfortunately I do not own one. But I was lucky again and one student of the Data Science bootcamp, Pablo Marquez, had one.
For the testing, these user had to put in the shoes of Carolina, my patient-persona, and do some tasks in a particular escenario. I evaluated the 5 five tasks with 5 points depending how difficult was completing the task, from 0 meaning unable and 5 meaning really easy. Also, I put 2 extra points for the first two tasks if the user checked some available info options during the test. Those tasks were:
- Check your waiting time left until someone visits you.
Bonus: Check health gravity info + Check waiting preference system info. - Check your vital signs.
Bonus: Check detailed temperature info + Check detailed heart beats per second info. - Check your personal info the Hospital have.
- Check if there are other close Hospitals to go to instead of waiting.
- You’re feeling sicker after a while and want to warn the medics using the smart-watch because you can’t move and/or speak.
Users positive comments:
- Being able to check your waiting time left is very practical.
- The red help button is really helpful.
- Checking your basic vital signs is very useful.
- The app is very simple to use, which is good.
- The red and green colors are placed correctly according the info they provide.
User comments about future new functions or info:
- Being able to check blood pressure.
- Checking the waiting time in other hospitals.
- Having a smartphone app to see all your personal info and visits story.
- Double confirmation when using the help red button.
- Add an on-boarding when starting the app.
Users blockage, pain-points and functions not used:
- Half of them had difficulties to recognize the app icon.
- Only one of them checked the info about the health gravity.
- Only one of them have checked both detailed temperature and B.P.M. info.
- Half of them had difficulties checking their Vital Signs info.
- Three of them tapped text boxes thinking they were buttons.
User testing conclusions:
- Remake the items with extra information so checking it would be easier.
- The fact they were tapping text boxes might be because they are not familiar with Apple watchOS.
- Adding a little an on-boarding at the start would raise the usage of all app features.
- Redesign the app icon with a symbol related to hospitals or healthcare.
- Everybody said this could be a very useful app.
Personal comments about the project
I couldn’t be happier with the final outcome, thinking about how many times I was blocked or sick. I wish I could have developed more features for the app, but only because prioritizing efforts I was able to bring a valid prototype. Who knows, maybe with an app developer and back-end data dev. -aka money, time and personnel-, this could be turned into a MVP (Minimum Viable Product).
All of this could not be possible without the magic words Alex Velasco put on a post-it: digital smart-band. And at this moment I remark how important team-working can be, especially during the ideation process, even in this personal project only lasted like half an hour.
Last but not least, turbo-thanks to Alba F, Pere Feliu and Núria Gómez for taking care of me and guiding me during my darkest hours.
❤
By the way, thank you for reading ;)
PS: I forgot to put a Seinfeld’s quote. I’m really sorry about that, so here it goes:
JERRY (Monologue): Waiting room. I hate when they make you wait in the room. ’Cause it says “Waiting room.” There’s no chance of not waiting, ’cause they call it the waiting room, they’re going to use it. They’ve got it. It’s all set up for you to wait. And you sit there, you know, and you’ve got your little magazine. You pretend you’re reading it, but you’re really looking at the other people. You know, you’re thinking about about them things like “I wonder what he’s got. As soon as she goes, I’m getting her magazine.” And then, they finally call you and it’s a very exciting moment.
They finally call you, and you stand up and you kinda look around at the other people in the room. “Well, I guess I’ve been chosen. I’ll see you all later.” You know, so you think you’re going to see the doctor, but you’re not, are you? No.You’re going into the next waiting room. The littler waiting room.
But if they are, you know, doing some sort of medical thing to you, you want to be in the smallest room that they have, I think. You don’t want to be in the largest room that they have. You know what I mean? You ever see these operating theaters, that they have, with like, stadium seating? You don’t want them doing anything to you that makes other doctors go, “I have to see this!” “Are you kidding? Are they really gonna do that to him?” “Are there seats? Can we get in?” Do they scalp tickets to these things? “I got two for the Winslow tumor, I got two…” — Seinfeld’s S02E01 “The Ex-Girlfriend”
